Updated on October 5th, 2025
There’s nothing quite like a good Cincinnati cheese coney recipe when you’re craving a hearty and comforting meal. Each hot dog is topped with a rich, homemade Cincinnati-style chili that’s full of unique spices like cinnamon, allspice, and cocoa powder. The flavors come together slowly as the chili simmers, making it thick, fragrant, and just the right amount of savory. Once you pile that chili over the hot dog and finish it with onions, mustard, and plenty of shredded cheddar cheese, you’ve got a dish that’s perfect for game day or casual family dinners.
Why this recipe works
- Rich flavor: The blend of warm spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and cloves gives the chili a deep and distinctive taste that stands out.
- Homemade goodness: Making the chili from scratch allows every flavor to develop, giving it that classic Cincinnati-style richness that’s hard to beat.
- Perfect texture: Slow simmering breaks down the meat until it’s tender and fine, making it ideal for topping hot dogs or serving over pasta.
- Make-ahead friendly: The chili tastes even better the next day, so you can prepare it in advance and use leftovers for a quick meal.
- Crowd favorite: This recipe serves several people, making it a great choice for football parties, family gatherings, or casual weekends.
Serving suggestions
- Game-day meal: Serve the Cincinnati cheese coney with fries or onion rings for a fun and filling tailgate-style dinner.
- Classic combo: Pair it with coleslaw or baked beans to balance the spice and add something fresh to the plate.
- Double-duty dinner: Use the leftover chili on spaghetti the next night for a traditional Cincinnati chili twist.
- Family-style setup: Set out bowls of toppings like cheese, onions, and mustard so everyone can build their own coney just the way they like.
- Casual lunch: Serve with chips and a cold drink for an easy meal that feels homemade but takes little effort to put together.
Cincinnati cheese coney recipe
Make this Cincinnati cheese coney recipe at home for flavorful hot dogs loaded with homemade chili, melted cheese, and your favorite toppings.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 cups sweet onion (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 can beef broth
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon cumin seed
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup cider vinegar
- 1 (29 ounces) can tomato sauce
Hot Dogs-
- hot dogs
- hot dog buns
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped onion
- mustard
Instructions
- Add the oil in a 4-quart (or larger) pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, stir and sauté for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add the beef, pork, broth, and water. Stir to break up the meat in the liquids.
- Cook while stirring frequently for 10 minutes. You want the meat to have a fine texture. Add cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and paprika. Add cocoa powder, tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and tomato sauce. Stir well and adjust the heat to a low simmer. Maintain a low simmer and partially cover for 45 minutes. Stir frequently.
- To prepare the hot dogs- place a hot dog into a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the hot dogs and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes or until heated through.
- Serve the hot dogs on buns and top with chili, cheddar cheese, onion, and mustard.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 3.4 g
- Sodium: 380.4 mg
- Fat: 16.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 10.2 g
- Protein: 19.7 g
- Cholesterol: 64.1 mg